The Frozen Sun
by princessjaneece
Summary: When Rapunzel leaves the Palace for the first time in forever, she runs into Prince Hans, his two infamous brothers and Flynn Rider, who are all on their way to steal her crown. She, the Prince and Flynn become an unlikely trio and when they travel to Arendelle for a funeral, they meet two sisters and a tough headed ice cutter who are up against the ultimate enemy; fire.
1. The Start of a New Beginning

It was one of those days where everything had to go right. Everything that you ever held back, every stroke of pale blue across the eggshell white sky, every tongue of orange lapping up the burning flame, every yellow center of the prettiest pink flower. Well, today was the day that I knew I could just let it go. Everything fell swiftly into place from the moment I woke up. The satin waterfalls of the gentlest lilac that hung from my ceiling in a magnificent canopy caressed my body with the sweetest of good mornings. Pascal was curled up on my pillow in a swirl of lacy textures and baby blue birds – he always changed on his own accord while he slept.

I opened the hand carved French doors onto my blissful balcony that overlooked the beautiful Coronian sea. Fair maidens and young children erupted in a fit of delightful giggles, playing in the pallid sand. A chorus of morning doves joined in on this sunny symphony, flitting by like ivory angels. I inhaled the salty aromas, soaking up the hot sun. But it wasn't a heat of discomfort. No, it never was. It was the kind of heat that came with a soft breeze that seemed to carry all of your worries away. And it did for me, all except for one.

I picked up the porcelain frame from my bedside table. The elegant waves that resembled the sea as a parallel to her grace. The blooming flowers that embellished the corner of the frame, in the late stages of growth, but with so much young beauty and spirit left. A big, happy sun at the top in the center. Our symbol of knowledge, freedom and dreams. If you **know** how to **dream**, then you will always be **free** -that's what she always told me. In the center of this elaborate frame is my hero. My sun. My mother.

I try to remember her like this. Smiling, sitting on the beach I know so well as I climbed up her torso with a small shovel in hand. I wanted to share a secret with her she told me years later. So she urged me on after the moment was captured by Father. "Go on, little flower," she said "tell me your secret. I will keep it safe." I never asked her what the secret was. I always waited for the perfect moment to bring it up, but it never presented itself. And now it's too late.

The only way I can remember her now is her face, frozen in fear and agony. I can remember that so easily. So clearly. As if it was only yesterday.

Father always told me that I was very special. That I had a gift others would try to take away from me. But I soon learned that I was not special, not at all. It was only my hair. But either way, Mother and Father loved me very much and they had to keep me safe. So, I was not to leave the castle under any circumstances because others would try to hurt me. I found this hard to believe as I watched the happy children play beneath my balcony. No one had vicious fangs or ferocious masks. They looked happy. Like the children of the sun should be.

Little did I know that my special power did not only effect my hair. Because it was a gift from the sun, I have the ability to make dreams come true. It sounds great, sure. You want a chocolate bar, ta-da. A new pony? Voila. But it didn't work quite like that.

I woke up on a morning much like this one. But I felt different. Something new had happened. Something warm and fuzzy and lovely. Something I had never experienced. So I ran down the stairs of the grand palace and found Father eating in the dining hall.

"Whoa, whoa. Good Morning, sweetheart." I slammed into his side with a giggle that filled the hall.

"I had a dream, Papa!" He laughed at my sweet innocence, but there was something gray shaded behind those clear blue eyes. I look back now and see that he knew something horrible had happened. But Papa didn't want to worry his little girl.

"And what was it about?"

"It was like the fairytale Nurse told me last night. About the beautiful Princess-"

"That sounds familiar."

"-who keeps on taking gold coins from her Mama and Papa. Except the Princess was Mama and she was as beautiful as she is now!

"Go on."

"And then, the witch came and told her that if she did not stop being so greedy, she would turn her heart to stone."

"Why does Nurse Gothel read you such stories?" A note of concern slipped into his voice.

"Shh, I'm not done! Okay, so, you see, Mama doesn't listen! She keeps on stealing the golden coins until one night the witch appears, and turns her heart to stone." And then it happens. A sharp scream, like a knife cutting through my heart, piercing every surface it can find. Smashing all of the stain glass windows, shards scattering all over the ground like little drops of blood.

Papa ran to Mama's aid. Mama was there, lying on the ground, her hand held tightly against her heart.

You see if I have a dream, and then speak of it the following morning, it will come true. I had tried to tell Papa about the happy ending, but it was too late.

Though today felt the same I knew it was different. Today didn't feel like another piece of that drawling ending, it felt like the start of a new beginning. So I knew that today I would be able to take the next step. I would be able to go outside of the palace walls.

So, here I am. Slowly making my way down my balcony, climbing down my ridiculously long hair. Mother used to braid it for me. I don't let anyone touch it anymore.

I touch down onto the tepid sand and a slight gasp escapes me. The feeling of warmth, of rebellion, of freedom. Father will be eating breakfast now. I don't have much time before he sends someone to fetch me to join him. I will not get far today. But I will start the beginning of the rest of my life.


	2. A New Face and a Terrible Plan

I've lost them again. How do they move so quickly and go so unnoticed? They're two six-foot-something beasts of pure muscle and fiery red hair. One of them even has an eye patch for crying out loud! Where have they gone?

I scale the wall of one of the cottages, careful not to draw any attention to myself. I'm used to the lack of acknowledgement; two of my other brothers back home have been pretending that I'm invisible for almost a year now.

I finally catch sight of their carrot top heads and make my through the winding crowd towards them.

"Where the heck have you been?" Staab wacks me over the head with a heavy fist.

"We were starting to think of excuses to tell Dad." Islington bolds his statement with a rough shove. I hardly recover on the brick wall of someone's home.

"Better start thinking of a new name to call yourselves." I mutter under my breath. And the moment the words leave my mouth, I regret them.

"What did you say, runt?" Staab growls. "You got a problem with our cover?"

"I'm just saying… I mean… Stabbington? Really? Don't you think it's a little, oh, I don't know… direct?" They raise their hefty eyebrows at me. The expression as dense as they are. "I mean it kind of just gives everything away. There's nothing left to imagine."

"How about you imagine my fist colliding with your face before I make it actually happen? Hmm?"

"I think your breath is going to knock me out before you can."

"Oh, you little-" I cringe, falling back into the wall. But the pounding doesn't come. Something has stopped it.

"You-I mean, _we_, have a job to do here boys." I look up to see Flynn. Standing in front of the sun, like some sort of holy figure. God, I hate this guy. "I'll stay here while you climb on up there, snatch the crown, and then bring it back here. Badda-boom, badda-bing, whadda ya say?" Staab is still holding his fist back.

"We should wait until later. When the King is in bed and his guard is watching the wall and not the throne room."

"And then you'll go and get me the crown?"

"And then we'll **all** go and get the crown, Ryder." Islington sneers, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and stomping off with heavy thuds.

"We'll meet here around dusk." Staab finishes, turning after his monstrous twin.

"No, that won't work! You see, I have plans to be on an island surrounded by enormous piles of money around that time."

"You don't want to disappoint us, Rider." He calls over his shoulder, towering form somehow disappearing into the condensed crowd.

Flynn looks to the empty space where they used to be and then back to me, and then to the space one more time with a tired look on his face.

"Looks like babysitting duty then, eh?" Flynn remarks, adjusting his man purse.

"You better know how to change your own diaper." And with that I set off on my own course.

I hear the scuff of rushing boots against cobblestone behind me. Flynn appears by my side a few moments later.

"Why does everyone here look the same? They all wear such bright colours and they're always… smiling. What are you so happy for? It's so damn _hot_. They're all crazy and sun sick. Blinded by the ravenous sun's rays. I saw it happen to a few of the men back home. Poor bastards." He babbles on. I try to zone him out. "Why are you even here, kid? You don't seem to be having much fun." I shrug, finally listening to his words.

"I thought some brotherly bonding time would be good. But clearly I was wrong. The only things that are bonding are these bruises to my body." I flash a large purpley-navy blue circle on my upper arm. Flynn whistles, impressed. "And that's the small one."

"I always wanted a brother."

"No." I spit. "You really don't."

"Oh, come on." He shoves me, spot on the bruise. "It can't be that bad. Someone to torment, someone to wrestle with, someone to blame everything on."

"Is that your idea of fun?"

"Well, being alone sure isn't."

"You didn't look very alone when we found you in that tavern back home in the Southern Isles."

"No, Britta and Agna kept me very busy."

"Doesn't Agna mean pure?"

"Not anymore." I feel my face shift abruptly. He chuckles at my reaction. "I'm only joking. I was merely passing through, just stopping to get a drink."

"Passing through?"

"Well, I was on the hunt for one or two fellas that were bigger and uglier than me. The latter is never hard to come by." That hair flip. You have got to be kidding me? This guy can't be serious.

"And then you ran into my brothers."

"That is a-correctamundo."

"Coincidence."

"Gesundheit." I'm not even going to bother.

"How do you know that the crown is even going to be there? Wouldn't the Princess be wearing it?"

"The Princess? No one's seen her for years. There's rumors going around that she passed away with the Queen. That it was actually both of them that got sick. I heard that her crown just sits there in the throne room, waiting to be stolen."

"So, you plan on getting over the wall, past the guards, into the throne room where you'll steal the crown and then last but not least, get out of the kingdom alive?"

"That's the plan, kid."

And what a terrible plan it is.


End file.
